A Safe Place

Zion, IL

Completed

2011

A Safe Place is a supportive housing development intended to house victims of domestic violence and the services provided to assist them. Located in Zion, IL, the site consists of a approximately 7 acres of wooded area, wetlands, a creek along the west end of the site, an existing 20-unit building, and parking.

The property has an existing 3-story, 20 unit apartment building with ground floor program/office space. The new building is a similar in size (approximately 26,400 square feet) 20-unit building, with a ground floor program set parallel and connected to the existing building on the same relatively flat and buildable portion of the site, on the north end of the existing building.

The new A Safe Place II building has a mix of 1, 2, and 3-Bedroom apartments distributed on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. In addition to a secure lobby entry, the ground floor is reserved for offices, program spaces and community spaces.

Each apartment has a generous kitchen with a dishwasher and gas stove, individual laundry hookups and equipment, a dining area and living room. The bathrooms have ceramic tile tub surrounds and floors, medicine cabinets and energy efficient lighting. All units have laminate hard wood flooring in the living areas and carpet in the bedrooms. The apartments are heated using an air-to-air heat pump, with ductwork distribution in each unit as needed to heat the dwelling unit. Electrical baseboard heaters are installed at the perimeter to provide supplemental heat in the units. A central solar heated hot water system will be provided for the domestic hot water supply. All lighting has energy efficient, cost-effective CFL (compact fluorescent lamp) lights.

The building’s exterior is of a recycled green material called HardiePanel®, which is a combination of face brick and fiber cement panel.